EXCELLENT

What EXCELLENT does

EXCELLENT (legal entity DUMANI SAS) is a French food-tech startup founded in 2018 by CEO Maximilien Nguyen, headquartered in Montreuil-sous-Bois with production in Brittany, Normandy and Île-de France. The company develops and sells plant-based meat alternatives (simili viande) formulated from organic soy, pea and fava bean proteins, with a clean-label approach that excludes additives, preservatives, artificial flavors and methylcellulose. Its core technology is a patented manufacturing process for the SoExcellent range that reduces isoflavone content in soy protein by more than 80%, addressing phytoestrogen concerns while preserving nutritional quality (150-200 kcal/100g, Nutriscore A, Yukascore 100/100, high protein and fiber).

The product portfolio spans five SKUs: SoExcellent Égrené (ground protein), Excellent Burger, Excellent Boulettes (meatballs), Excellent Crispy Nuggets and breaded items, and Excellent Émincé (sliced). All products carry BIO, IFS and BRC certifications and use at least 75% French-origin ingredients, with soy sourced from Southwest France. Distribution is restricted to France and combines direct enterprise field sales to chefs and collective caterers with a network of regional and national distributors plus the Vegetalsquare.fr marketplace for SMBs and end consumers.

Revenue is generated through one-time product sales to foodservice professionals in collective and commercial catering, anchored by regulatory tailwinds (Egalim law, mandatory weekly vegetarian menus in school canteens). The company has not publicly disclosed pricing or revenue. Customer references include Blend restaurant, Philia and institutional collective catering accounts. The firm is small (1-10 employees), founder-led, privately held (legal form SAS), and bootstrapped or lightly funded, with a single disclosed seed round of approximately $141,343 in April 2021.

Name

EXCELLENT

Legal name

DUMANI SAS

Website

https://excellentburger.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EXCELLENT is a French food-tech startup that develops clean-label, organic plant-based meat alternatives (soya, pea, fava bean) for collective and commercial catering professionals in France, with a patented isoflavone-reduction process.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant-based meat alternatives (alt-protein)

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant-Based Meat Manufacturers (End-to-End Brands) (AFANAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plant-Based Beef/Pork Alternatives (Analog Red Meat) (AFANAKAM), Finished Meat-Alternative Prepared Foods (Nuggets, Burgers, Sausages, Ready Meals) (AFANAKAO), Tofu, Tempeh & Traditional Soy Foods Manufacturing (AFAKAGAD)

Keywords

• Plant-based meat alternatives
• Foodservice protein substitutes
• Organic legume proteins
• Alt-meat products
• Simili viande products

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Product sales to foodservice professionals: Excellent generates revenue through the sale of its plant-based meat substitute products to professionals in collective and commercial catering. Products are sold directly and via distributors across France. The company does not publicly disclose pricing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EXCELLENT designs, manufactures, and sells a complete range of organic, clean-label plant-based meat alternatives — including égrené (granulated protein), burger patties, meatballs, breaded nuggets, and sliced products — made from French-origin soy, pea, and fava bean proteins for collective and commercial catering professionals in France. Products are positioned as 1:1 replacements for minced beef, chicken, or pork, with Nutriscore A ratings, no additives or methylcellulose, and a patented process that reduces soy isoflavones by over 80%.

Product overview

EXCELLENT offers a complete range of plant-based meat alternatives for professional and commercial food service. The product portfolio centers on the SoExcellent line of soy and legume-based proteins, complemented by ready-to-cook finished products including Excellent Burger patties, Excellent Boulettes (meatballs), Excellent Crispy Nuggets and breaded items, and Excellent Émincé (sliced products). All products are organic, made in France, free from additives and methylcellulose, with short ingredient lists and Nutriscore A ratings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SoExcellent®: Égrené (soy or pea & sunflower) product line serving as a plant-based ground meat replacement for recipes like bolognese, lasagna, and curries.
• ExcellentBurger
• ExcellentBoulettes
• ExcellentCrispys
• ExcellentÉmincé

Products and services

• SoExcellent Égrené Plant-based protein granules (égrené) made from soy or pea & sunflower, designed as a 1:1 replacement for ground meat in recipes such as bolognese, lasagna, curries, and stews, with high protein and fiber content and excellent cooking hold for professional kitchens.
• Excellent Burger Plant-based burger patty designed to replicate the taste and texture of a butcher-style beef burger, cookable on pan, plancha, grill, or oven, available in multiple sizes and packaging options including a ground-meat version for custom recipes.
• Excellent Boulettes Plant-based meatballs designed to mimic the texture and taste of real beef meatballs, prepared in sauce, pan, or oven within minutes for restaurant and catering service.
• Excellent Crispy Nuggets & Panés Breaded plant-based products available in a 25g nugget format or 100g breaded format with a crispy corn-flakes coating on the outside and tender texture inside.
• Excellent Émincé Plant-based sliced product (émincé) suitable for curry, blanquette, wraps, and salads, with pleasant texture, excellent cooking hold, and ready in minutes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Isoflavone content reduced by more than 80% through patented manufacturing process
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local agricultural cooperatives (Sud-Ouest soybean, Brittany pea and fava bean)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Excellent works hand-in-hand with local cooperatives for sourcing its primary ingredients. Soy is cultivated in Southwest France while pea and fava bean crops are sourced from Brittany. All crops are organically grown, ensuring quality and traceability. This close collaboration with local farming cooperatives is integral to Excellent's commitment to French production, clean-label sourcing, and sustainable agriculture.
• OVH SASminorOthersOVH SAS provides web hosting services for excellentburger.com. The website and company data are hosted on OVH servers located in Roubaix, France. OVH is a major European cloud infrastructure provider.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Excellentburger

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EXCELLENT